As technology continues to revolutionize education, our educational systems have a considerable task at hand: preparing young learners to thrive in a technology-rich environment while helping them tackle complex environmental and societal issues. One way you can fuel student innovation with STEM learning is with TCEA’s 3D Design Contest. Instill a passion for STEM in your students as they develop and design an invention to solve a real-world problem.
3D Design Contest Prompt
Your students’ mission, should they decide to accept it, is to create something using 3D design software to help meet a need or solve a problem associated with weather. Think about some of the problems weather causes, including but not limited to, extreme heat, drought, wildfires, flash floods, tornadoes, ice storms, etc.
Contest Parameters and Rules
The contest is designed for secondary students. Students in grades 6-8 have the option of competing in either intermediate or advanced, while students in grades 9-12 may compete in advanced only.
Each school/educational entity may submit only one team’s entry. A team must consist of one sponsor and up to four students. Note: students may only participate on one team.
Contest work must take place between March 5 and March 30, 2018. For details and all contest rules, please visit the official contest page.
Judging
The following categories will be used to judge each team’s entry: originality, feasibility, functionality, and sustainability. For a detailed rubric of judging criteria, click here. Additionally, students will need to provide the following deliverables to submit a complete contest entry:
- A “Proof of Originality” form
- An engineering design process log book
- A final design in .STL or .OBJ format
- A marketing plan presentation not to exceed one minute in length.
Please note, a 3D printer is not required to enter the contest. However, students will need access to 3D modeling software. Public schools can request a free copy of SketchUp Pro through TCEA, while private schools can purchase a discounted copy of the software.
Register Your Team
We hope you will consider participating in this year’s contest. Sign up before March 5 for only $50 per team. The top five winning designs will be announced in May. Winners will be awarded a trophy for their school and a medal for each team member. So what are you waiting for? Register your team today!
